310 cadet mystery.....

[uscra112]

Not strange at all. That's the same last step as we use loading .32 Long Colt, save that in our case we use a hardened steel drill bushing instead of the bullet sizing die. Letter O is .316, 8.0mm is .315. Chamber in my 1915 Favorite is a bit over .317.

[Black Beard]

I have successfully used Lee 7.62 Nagant sizing dies for 310 cadet (using modified 32-20 cases). If you draw the profile of a 7.62 Nagant case and a 310 cadet case they are so close (over the bit that gets sized) it doesn't matter. They work fine with 3.5 gr of N320.

[barrabruce]

Cattle killer used in ww1 with shortened 310 cases.
Used to put down the injured horses.

[marlinman93]

Making brass for a rifle you don't have in hand yet might not be the best idea. A lot of 310 Cadets have had their chambers modified, so it could be futile to make brass for it, and then discover it's not the original chamber when it arrives. Plus it's always best to test fit your brass to determine how well it chambers, extracts, etc., and then move on to making the rest the same way.
I've occasionally in distant past formed up a bunch of brass, assuming it would fit fine. Then test one, and realize I had to adjust things to make them all fit before loading.

[trails4u]

Well...perhaps to bring this to a close, or maybe, even better....generate additional discussion, I have achieved success with the 310 cadet project. Using nagant revolver brass and a heeled bullet (.323x.316, I believe) I have successfully loaded 50 and have test fired the rifle to great success. Ended up abandoning the NDFS dies.....but by the grace of a very generous member here came into a 310 tool and various dies that I was able to mix and match to get a neck ID right at .313.....works like a charm! I believe the combination was a 30-40 krag expander rod/button in a 30 carbine die body, which was necessary for the shorter die body length.

We do all love a happy ending....right!?

[uscra112]

Yes indeed! Show us your targets, now.

[trails4u]

USCRA.....hope to share, perhaps the entire journey, with photos....sometime over the winter when things slow down here. I just got the rifle in hand a couple weeks ago and she's a beauty! All original, great bore, great wood and unmolested in its original 310 chambering. So far I know it's 'minute of 6" plate at 60yrd' offhand...but do hope to put it to paper at some point over the winter. I'm a happy camper!

[trails4u]

And I'll go ahead and call him out...... Many, many thanks to kywoodwrkr here for a very creative and innovative solution to getting my inside case ID right!! He's not on the good guy list....he's on the GREAT guy list!!

[john.k]

You need to be aware there are two barrel sizes when reading online information...... the most common Cadet is the BSA with the windage adjustable rear sight......on this model bore is .310", groove dia is .321"...........on the earlier models with the ladder rear sight ,bore is .310",but groove is .316"...........so a .316 mould is going to be undersized for a second model BSA with .321 groove.

[trails4u]

You need to be aware there are two barrel sizes when reading online information...... the most common Cadet is the BSA with the windage adjustable rear sight......on this model bore is .310", groove dia is .321"...........on the earlier models with the ladder rear sight ,bore is .310",but groove is .316"...........so a .316 mould is going to be undersized for a second model BSA with .321 groove.

It is the .321 groove barrel. The .316 I quoted above was the heel diameter, which I'll have to double check. The .323 is the bullet diameter...

[pworley1]

I make my brass from 32-20 winchester and use the RCBS heeled bullet mold. The combination works well in my cadets. CH4D made my dies.

[1Hawkeye]

I make my brass from 32-20 winchester and use the RCBS heeled bullet mold. The combination works well in my cadets. CH4D made my dies.

Ditto, I did the same thing when I had mine If you shorten a .32-20 case by .20" its the same length as a .310 cadet.
I was using 4.5 grs of unique and the sights were in agreement with the load and distance. I miss that little rifle.

[trails4u]

The beauty of the nagant brass.....at least in today's environment...is that it's available and relatively cheap. The process isn't much harder. Basically trim to length, size for inside neck ID and load. Admittedly I went around my elbow to get to my backside...but not without purpose. I wanted to learn how to make/form it to 'spec' for the heeled bullet, as several in my crowd own and shoot them in original 310 configuration. Now I know I can, know how, have the tools....and brass to last us all our lifetimes!

[john.k]

The 310 Greener was designed as a target cartridge that was accurate with smokeless powder,which wasnt all that easy to achieve in 1900.The heel crimped bullet was to ensure even ignition of the powder.